Mamaroneck Avenue Street Art Opportunity
Request for Proposals

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

This year marks the 20th anniversary of ArtsWestchester’s purchase of the landmarked Peoples Bank & Trust Building on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, NY. To celebrate this anniversary and the transformation of the former bank building into a multi-use cultural center, ArtsWestchester is commissioning a public art project that will identify our historic building as a center of creative activity.

In collaboration with the City of White Plains, the White Plains BID, and Kite Realty (the City Center), ArtsWestchester seeks an artist/designer or team to design and install graphics for a temporary street painting for the “Arts Avenue” drop-off/pick-up lane between ArtsWestchester and the City Center on Mamaroneck Avenue, inclusive of the vacant street space on Martine Avenue, between the crosswalk and handicap parking space.

Proposal Deadline: Monday, March 12, 2018, 11:59PM, EST

Project Honorarium: $15,000-$20,000

BACKGROUND:

In 1998, ArtsWestchester, then known as Westchester’s Council for the Arts purchased the People’s National Bank & Trust Building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue. The building was a rare survivor of a bygone era and one of only a handful of pre-1930 office buildings still standing in White Plains. ArtsWestchester embarked on a major restoration to the former bank building, registering it as a historic landmark and breathing new life into it as a hub of activity for artists and creative businesses. In recognition of the significance of the endeavor, the City of White Plains christened a stretch of Mamaroneck Avenue as “Arts Avenue.”

The project goals are to improve the pedestrian experience, build visibility of White Plains’ major cultural asset, and celebrate the 20th anniversary of ArtsWestchester’s residence at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue. Artists should submit designs that are distinctive, that consider the character and historic significance of the building, as well as the City’s street life, and that will comply with traffic and safety regulations.

SITE DESCRIPTION:

The Mamaroneck Avenue drop-off/pick-up/valet lane is the “Welcome Mat” to ArtsWestchester and the City Center (home to shops, restaurants, and the White Plains Performing Arts Center and Cinema de Lux.) The space available for artwork includes the vacant street space on Martine Avenue, between the pedestrian crosswalk and handicap parking space (highlighted in the diagram in yellow.)

Total artwork area: up to 110 square feet

Artists are strongly encouraged to consider the historic design elements of ArtsWestchester’s headquarters, including brickwork and ornamentation, which also inspired the design of the City Center.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The scope of work for the selected designer/design team includes:

Site observation and analysis

Present Concept Design(s) & receive feedback on Concept Design(s)

Development of Final Designs

Produce final digital file of designs with description and notes, including design concept, final design, specifications and installation methods (flash drive plus a printed copy of each design). ArtsWestchester will retain the exclusive right to use the approved graphic design files in perpetuity for any similar application at any time without further compensation.

Installation of the artwork, including the fabrication of stencils and other installation or procurement of materials and tools. NOTE: The project installation work may be subject to prevailing wages which would require contractor/subcontractors to register with New York State.

The artist/designer should use surface treatments that are easy to install such as paint or stencil, and are cost effective. Installation costs (all materials, labor, etc.) should be included in the proposal as a line item.

One million dollars ($1,000,000) of General Liability insurance and workers compensation insurance, and a Certificate of Insurance naming City of White Plains and ArtsWestchester as additional insureds shall be provided before starting work.

Project designs shall comply with the following basic regulatory parameters:

All design features must be placed within the drop-off/pick-up/valet lane.

All materials used shall conform to the latest version of the New York Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

Because of safety concerns, designs should not contain readable text.

Artwork/design should be lively and community-friendly.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, and must live or maintain a studio address in the lower Hudson Valley region of New York, including NYC (all 5 boroughs), Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan Counties.

Selected artists must be registered to do business in New York State.

Project Considerations:

One artist/design team will be selected. Artists/designers may submit up to two distinct designs for consideration.

Artists will be responsible for the installation/application of their painting.

Materials and installation methods will be determined in collaboration with City staff.

The City’s traffic engineer and Mayor’s Office must approve the selected design and installation.

The City and partners will provide the temporary traffic control plan needed for design installation. Time should be allotted in the project schedule to prepare the plans in coordination with the selected designer/team.

Project cost proposals should identify all project costs, and must separate design and construction/installation costs. Note that construction/installation work is subject to prevailing wages which should be considered in the installation cost.

BUDGET:

The artist-proposed, budget for this project must be inclusive of all project costs, including but not limited to artist fees, materials, and installation, and must not exceed $20,000.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

All applications must include the following documents, or will be considered incomplete and ineligible:

Note: ArtsWestchester is providing site renderings/photographs, at multiple angles for artists to use in their proposal. Files will be provided in multiple formats. Artists are welcome to use their own site renderings in their proposal, but should still provide an aerial and street-level view of their proposed artwork.

A project narrative/statement that describes the proposed work, including the applicant’s vision and inspiration for the design.

A project budget and production timeline that includes description of materials, including but not limited to: type of paint, color palette, application method of design, potential subcontractors. (See budget sample/worksheet.)

Site Images:These images indicate the art area (highlighted in yellow) that may be used in your design.

Template Files: For your convenience we have prepared the template of the crosswalk area in 4 file formats: EPS, PDF, JPEG, PSD. They may be downloaded here. Note: all 4 files types display an identical image and you need only use the one you prefer to work with in whatever computer software you have access to.